The Peking Acrobats Leap into Kingsbury Hall 2/4, 2/5

THE PEKING ACROBATS ®, a troupe of China's most gifted tumblers, contortionists, jugglers, cyclists and gymnasts, complemented by live musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments, will bring their 2,000-year-old tradition of acrobatics to Kingsbury Hall on February 4 & 5 at 7:30 p.m. 

Since their debut in 1986, THE PEKING ACROBATS have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring maneuvers atop a precarious pagoda of chairs; they are experts at treacherous wire-walking, trick-cycling, precision tumbling, somersaulting and gymnastics. They defy gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility and control. They push the envelope of human possibility with astonishing juggling dexterity and incredible balancing feats, showcasing tremendous agility and grace. For centuries, dating back to the Ch'in Dynasty (221 B.C. - 207 B.C.), Chinese acrobats have continued to perfect an evolving folk art form. Tradition demands that each generation of acrobats add its own improvements and embellishments.

Because of the unusual and difficult nature of the feats involved, high honor is conferred upon those skilled enough to become acrobats; an acrobat can be considered the Chinese equivalent of an American opera star. In China there are approximately 100,000 acrobats studying at schools dedicated to the art. After ten or eleven years of extensive tutoring, often beginning as early as age 5 or 6, the student will join a professional troupe, usually a citywide organization that draws it's members regionally. Only the best acrobats find themselves members of an elite world-touring troupe such as THE PEKING ACROBATS.

Tickets are $21.50, $25.50, and $29.50 and are available at www.kingtix.com or by calling 801-581-7100.